Chapter 17 #2
Mama and I go back to fixing up our table. We served a few more customers when suddenly Daddy walks by with a plate in his hands.
“Robert Alexander, I know you ain’t out here eating another woman’s pasta salad?”
Daddy looks shocked before he tries to hide the plate behind his back.
“No baby. I was just sampling it.”
I stifle my laugh behind my hand. He knows Faye Alexander doesn’t play about who feeds her family.
“You better sample that plate in the trash,” Mama demands. “Out here eating out another woman's house.” I watch as she works herself up, moving around the table toward my father.
“Let me go round here and see who snuck my husband some food. You got to watch these old heifers out here, Ella.”
“Mama,” I scold before cackling at her antics. “These are your fellow church members.”
She looks at me as if I said something wrong. “Those are the ones you have to watch. It’s a lot of holy hoes in the church.”
My jaw drops at her words. She walks away, still going on about that pasta salad.
My daddy follows behind her, trying to clear his name.
Despite her anger, she knows that Robert Alexander isn’t going anywhere.
That man is so desperately in love with her.
Not only did he marry her, but he adopted me so that she knew he was serious about her.
For all it’s worth, he is truly my father.
My phone dings, alerting me that I have a text message. It’s a picture of a hundred-dollar bill. Seconds later, a text followed.
Mitchie: Can old man Deacon beat this? Bring me some cupcakes, beautiful.
I burst out laughing at his antics. Sliding my phone into my apron, I go back to serving the customers. I’m glad that I already had the foresight to put Mitch’s cupcakes aside.
Two hours later, I pull back up in my driveway. It’s been a long day, but my tent raised a lot of money for the church.
“AJ, get those empty containers out of the trunk for me,” I say, climbing out of the front seat.
“Why can’t Cameron get them?”
I stop to give my son my full attention. I don’t know what the hell is going on with AJ, but he has been so snippy lately. Nothing too disrespectful, but constantly challenging me and his father.
“I asked you to get them,” I reply.
“I can get them, Mama,” Cam volunteers.
There was no issue with Cameron getting the containers. Any other time, I would’ve told him to go ahead. But because I asked AJ first, and he got an attitude, he’s going to do it.
“Thank you, Cam. You can help your brother, but he’s going to do what I asked.” I place my sights back on AJ, giving him a look to suggest this wasn’t up for debate.
He rolls his eyes and sucks his teeth, but goes to do what I asked. I take a moment to count to ten. This new teenage attitude might cause me to catch a charge. I head to the back seat to pull out the tray of cupcakes I stashed for Mitch.
“I’ll be back in a few. I’m taking these to Uncle Mitch’s,” I tell the boys.
They head into the house, and I walk next door.
I was so caught up with AJ and his attitude that I didn’t notice Val’s car in Mitch’s yard. Of course, I think nothing of it. It’s not unusual for her to be here. I mean, it isn’t his two weeks with Jacob, but she is still his ex-wife and the mother of his son.
As soon as I get close to the steps, the door opens and Val walks out. She spots me immediately. Her nose turns up, and a frown appears on her face. She tugs at her skirt as if she’s trying to fix it. With a smug smile, she walks toward me on the stairs.
“You might want to give him a few minutes. He’s not dressed yet.” The smile on her face rubs me completely wrong. She walks past me down the stairs. I turn to watch her climb into her truck and back out of the yard.
When I turn back to the door, Mitch walks out. He’s slipping his shirt over his head as he exits the house.
“Hey, I saw you were back. I was coming to see if you needed help.” He was there this morning to help load up my truck for the sale.
Although I know I have no right to ask this question or to feel any way about it, I can’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth.
“Did you sleep with her?”
His smile slowly falls. His blue eyes looked me over before a playful smile lifted his lips.
“I figured since you were taking compliments from old, perverted deacons, I’d hook up with my own pervert.”
My stomach fills with rocks, and my throat feels as if it closes up and I can’t catch my breath. I shove the cupcakes into his chest and turn to leave. God, please don’t let these tears fall right now. I don’t want to cry in front of him.
I don’t make it down the stairs before Mitch’s grip on my arm has me turning to face him. My gaze bounces everywhere but on him. I notice that he isn’t holding the cupcakes I shoved at him. He must have put them down.
“Let me go,” I try to pull away.
“Whoa, Ella, calm down.” He chases my gaze with his own until I’m forced to look him in the face. His brows are nearly touching as he watches me.
“You were serious?” he asks as if he’s just understanding.
“Just forget it.”
“Hell no,” he argues pulling me into him.
I bury my head in his chest. “Baby, I was joking. Val came here to get Jacob’s charger.
I’d just gotten out of the shower when she showed up.
I let her in and went to get dressed. She wasn’t even here for over two minutes because the charger was on the table when she walked in. I swear, nothing happened.”
When he pulls back, he looks down into my face. I felt so stupid about the way I reacted.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have accused you of that. It’s just she made it seem like—”
“What did she say?” The way his voice pitched so low, I knew if I told him what she insinuated he’d be pissed. He’d probably call her and curse her out. I didn't want to add to their problems.
“Nothing. I just let my insecurities get the best of me.”
“Look at me.”
I look up into his eyes. “I need you to know I’d never do something like that to you. Do you understand that?”
Shame and embarrassment wash over me. Everything I knew about Mitch told me he wouldn’t do that to me. And further more, I had no right to even question him. Although we both tend to forget, he and I aren’t together. Mitch isn’t my man the same way I’m not truly his woman.
I shake my head and chuckle. “I guess it’s silly of me to get mad. It’s not like we’re a couple.”
The moment the words leave my mouth, Mitch’s entire demeanor changes. It’s as if a window shut down on his soul and I’m locked out. He takes a step back, his gaze narrowing. He looks away from me and shakes his head.
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.” The words were said so coldly I got a chill up my spine. “You need my help?”
Even though I know what I said hurt him, he still offers his help.
That tells me everything I need to know about this man.
If I caused Andrew the slightest inconvenience, he would shut down on me for weeks.
Hell, I raised my voice at him when I went into labor with Cameron because he was trying to tell me what to do in the midst of contractions.
The man walked out of the labor and delivery room and refused to come back. He missed his son being born.
“No. Everything's sold.”
He dips his chin. “Okay.”
Without another word, he spins around and walks back into his house. At least he remembered to grab his cupcakes before he shut the door. For a few seconds longer I stand there and watch his door. I knew I needed to fix this. But what the hell do I say?
Rolling over in my bed, the clock on my nightstand read one a.m. I’ve been in bed for hours and have yet to go to sleep. The events with Mitch earlier today will not stop playing on repeat in my head. That look on his face when I made that stupid comment eats at me.
“You have to make this right, Ella,” I scold myself.
I listen for any sound in my house. There is nothing but the hum of the AC unit. Pushing the covers off my feet, I climb out the bed. Placing my robe on, I slip my feet into my slippers.
For the entire two months that Mitch and I have been sleeping together, never have we risked sneaking into each other’s home with the boys home to have sex. He’s been around me with the boys and has snuck a kiss here and there when we were alone, but nothing like what I’m about to do.
I make it to the front door and pause. Taking a moment to check the silence of the house once more, I listened for any movement. When nothing happens, I slip out the front door. My slipper-clad feet trod down my porch, into his yard, then up his stairs and onto his front porch.
Even though I know the passcode to unlock his door, I ring the doorbell instead. It’s after one in the morning and there’s a possibility he’s asleep, but something tells me he isn’t. It’s as if my soul knows he’s not.
The front door opens, and a shirtless Mitch greets me. He doesn’t say a word. He leans against the doorframe. One arm over his head and the other wrapped around the door as if he could shut it at any time.
Seeing him, with that look still in his eyes, hurts more. I swallow the knot forming in my throat.
"What are you doing here, Ella?"
I hated the tone in his voice. It was so detached as if he didn't want me here, or if he no longer cared. I know it's my fault, I had to make this right.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I know there is something between us, Mitch, but I’m scared. I’m so freaking terrified because I know we can’t keep it and I—"
He cuts me off by grabbing my neck and pulling me into him. He sucks on my lips and then pushes his tongue into my mouth, removing my earlier fears and tension.
The slam of the door closing behind me gives me only a second of alarm before my back is pushed up against the barrier. Mitch’s tongue continues to dance in my mouth.